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Bush Says He Was a Good Civil Rights President

Bush Says He Was a Good Civil Rights President

Published December 30, 2008

President Bush says America shouldn’t forget about his contributions to civil rights.

While acknowledging that Sen. Barack Obama’s election portends a "very hopeful moment for race relations," the president pointed to such programs as No Child Left Behind education law, which he called "a piece of civil rights legislation" and his push to overhaul Social Security, saying it was aimed at giving Blacks a greater stake in the nation's future.

"No Child Left Behind is a piece of civil rights legislation. And it's going to be important for future Republican leaders to remind people that accountability in the public schools is leading toward closing an achievement gap, and that it was a Republican president who worked with both Democrats and Republicans to get it passed," the president told The Washington Times Friday.

"The philosophy behind my personal savings accounts and Social Security was aimed at encouraging and allowing individuals to take some of the money that normally would have gone into a system that is going broke and realize the benefits of compounding rate of interest so that they can see their assets accumulate," he said.

He says that he worked hard over the past eight years to elevate people of color to a new level in society. It is a fact that Bush appointed more African Americans to his cabinet than any other president in history.

Although many hail the No Child act as a noble attempt at improving education, they say the problem was largely a failure, mainly because it was never fully funded, and there were certain measures that some said were too punitive.

"I was touched when I saw on television people with tears streaming down their face saying, 'I never dreamt I would see this day,' Bush said. “And there was a lot of emotion and a lot of pride in America as an African-American rises to the presidency. And to me this is a very hopeful moment for race relations.”